Summer Staples

IN THE SPIRIT OF THE MOST ACTIVE TIME OF YEAR, WE CAME UP WITH A MUST-EAT CHECKLIST SURE TO COMPLIMENT THE LAZY DRIFTING DAYS OF SUMMER.

ARTICLE BY VANELIS RIVERA
PHOTOGRAPHY BY KELLY MOORE CLARK
STYLING BY TAYLOR BENNETT

FOR FIFTEEN YEARS, Deborah Callaway’s snowball and ice cream stand has served as an oasis for the parched, sweet-seeking, and nostalgic. Callaway runs a tight operation, five-star general style. “We do not close,” she affirms, boasting that the only day of the year you’ll find an empty stand is on Christmas. Her workers like Santa’s elves toil as tirelessly as she does, cranking out their iced treats about every ten to fifteen minutes, particularly during peak hours. “I mean, it just never stops,” she says. When BayouLife food stylist Taylor Bennett reached the establishment, he was met with a line that reached the road. It’s hard to believe a small stand could pull the numbers they do, but it’s not an exaggeration. “I should have come on a cooler day,” he joked.

With about sixty-five snowball flavors, it’s hard to choose. Stick to a simple favorite like strawberry, bubblegum, greenapple, blue raspberry, peach, or piña colada? Or venture into their more eccentric flavors like Frog in a Blender, Swamp Water, or Alligator Blood? Either way, you can’t go wrong because at Debbie’s there’s no cutting corners. She takes her product seriously, making fresh syrup daily and using all the sugar necessary to keep the right consistency befitting a proper snowball.

Though not part of the establishment’s label, Debbie’s ice cream is a huge hit. Their ice cream is made from scratch! At times, you may notice the thousand-pound stacks of sugar they get every three days from Brookshires. Three industry-standard electro-freeze ice cream machines make it easy to meet orders for her in-high-demand flavors. Her distributor from New Orleans informed her she’s the only one in the state with three machines of that caliber. There are five varieties of current flavors, but we highly recommend starting with blackberry or strawberry. Both are made with fresh berries! Callaway recounts her blackberry distributor in Alabama being stunned at the amount of berries he was selling, asking “Where are all these blackberries going?” He’d be delighted to know they are going into one of the most flavorful and refreshing ice creams in Northeast Louisiana.

Though a small operation compared to most, Callaway and her girls go above the call of duty seven days a week between 12 PM and 7 PM. Whether you order from the drive-thru or treat ya’ self on their picnic tables, show them some love because that’s what they’re serving to customers on the daily.

DAILY HARVEST SANDWICHES
The name alone promises fresh and nutritious food items, both of which this Monroe staple delivers. Breakfast items, raw juices, smoothies, baked goods, sandwiches, salads, and wraps; though the options are bountiful, they are piling the finest ingredients into hearty, healthy, and delicious sandwich combinations, perfect for an outdoor picnic or a quick bite between running errands.

Their bestseller is the Chicken Salad Sandwich, a recipe inherited from the original owners who opened around 2004. It’s made with locally sourced pecans, red grapes, their “secret sauce,” and served on their in-house cranberry pecan bread. Right behind at a very close second is the Smothered Chicken Sandwich–loaded with savory chicken, premium bacon, sautéed onions and mushrooms, drizzled with their chipotle mayo dressing, and served on a marbled pumpernickel bread. “Most people can only eat half of it,” owner Jacob Rennick playfully informs. Patrons can’t go wrong with the club sandwich as Daily Harvest deli meats are hormone and preservative free and sliced on-site, guaranteeing fresh, thick slices on every sandwich. Try their Club Trio to see for yourself–generous portions of turkey, ham, and thick bacon slices, tomato and fresh greens, best on their in-house harvest wheat bread made with freshly ground wheat. On the wraps side the Grilled Chicken is their number one–premium grilled chicken, fresh spinach, melted cheddar and mozzarella cheese with vidalia onion dressing. Spruce up any sandwich or wrap by adding avocado slices or goat cheese, a unique and delightful option. On that keto kick? No problem. Ask for their Naked Turkey Burger or Naked Black Bean Burger–turkey burger made in-house or the vegetarian version of their turkey patty on a bed of spinach, topped with tomato, fresh avocado, purple onion, and served with a side of in-house made ranch dressing.

Enjoy any of their signature sandwiches or wraps with a side of fruit, pasta salad, chips, or cookie. Before you second guess going the sweet tooth route, just know Daily Harvest cookies aren’t your average sugar-flour treat. Not only are they massive and hearty, but they use the wheat they grind in-house on their cookies, as well as using sucanat, a more raw sugar with higher molasses content that gives their cookies a more complex flavor, and even makes them more nutritious than those made with fine sugar. Finish off your Harvest meal with any of their lactose-friendly kefir smoothies (full of vitamins and probiotics), made with their own kefir or any of their 100% fresh raw juices, served fresh to order. Get your daily dose of Daily Harvest all summer long.

WASHINGTON WINE & SPIRITS
“When you think about summer, you think about a gorgeous day, being outside,” says Erica Hearn, one of the establishment’s spirits guide, adding “we also have so much to celebrate during the summer months.” For this reason, she suggests choosing a wine on the economic side, one that provides quantity as well as quality. That’s where Washington Wine & Spirits can best serve you. The wines that are usually appropriate for hot weather are light and crisp whites that “make you feel refreshed and relaxed,” she says. Her top picks include:
● Sauvignon blanc: Crisp and bright, it reminds Hearn of a freshly mowed yard. With citrus notes, and a little melon, she recommends Sand Point from California.
● Rosé: Always a fine wine to drink casually with friends or at a nice dinner, Washington Wine & Spirits has plenty of options, but Hearn’s current obsession is sure to turn heads. “This rosé, oh my gosh, I love this rosé,” she beams, referring to Hampton Water. Made by drum roll Jon Bon Jovi and his son, with the help of well-known French wine maker Gerard Bertrand, this wine is light but has a sweet oakiness with rosey floral notes.
● Spanish white wine: “You get a lot for your money right here,” says Hearn, referring to the liter bottle they carry. Taste-wise, it’s similar to a sauvignon, but carries more depth of flavor. “If you just got done exercising and you want to treat yourself, this is what I would do. Go for the Gulp!”
● Champagne: Affordable and made for celebrations, champagnes make a great cocktail mixer or served alone with fresh berries. Her choice, Saint Hilaire Brut, has creamy apple and bright citrus notes with a zesty lemon finish for the pop of flavor.
The Washington Wine & Spirits team often gets the opportunity to try wines when they come in, so they stand by their stock and encourage you to branch out, try their recommendations, and let them help you find a revitalizing elixir you’ll truly enjoy.

FOR HIS TEMPLE SALADS
For His Temple Family Foods has made the teaching from 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 the foundation of their business– ”Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.” They aim to serve the community great tasting, nutrient dense food, devoid of chemicals and toxins. Restaurant, health food store, and a great source educating about clean eating, this is our summer stop for fresh salads.

Choosing to cook using seasonal bounty as much as possible, they don’t have a set bill of fare. Every week their menu changes, which allows their clientele to await in eager anticipation their inspired kitchen staff’s newest creations. Currently they’re offering two power-packed salads. The Rainbow Garden Salad which consists of a variety of greens, including microgreens from Wall Greens Farm & Seed, tossed with tomatoes, cucumbers, and other seasonal veggies, and topped with your choice of their house-made dairy free Ranch or Maple Lemon Vinaigrette. Another energizer is the Kale Power Salad, which is fresh kale tossed in their house-made Maple Lemon Vinaigrette, and topped with chopped pecans and dried cranberries. Sourcing locally when they can for most of their meals, they are soon going to partner with DeLa Terre Farm for fresh produce, sure to result in more delicious salad creations.

It’s worth the effort to find this tucked away gem on Wood Street in West Monroe in order to indulge in a menu crafted with organic ingredients and the care and attention that our temples deserve.